The nation has votes, and America's Got Talent now has its Top 6 finalists.

As Week 1 of finals drew to a close, the number of contestants was slashed in half. While most of the eliminations were expected, even the judges were surprised by a few choices.

Chicago Boyz vs. Kenichi Ebina

The Windy City's acrobatic team was sent packing following their slipups in Tuesday night's performance. A minor drop during the very beginning of their performance could have cost them a ticket to the final round. Ebina, however, took a risk in his last performance and wound up wowing the crowd with his more artistic expression.

Innovative Force vs. Cami Bradley

Last night judge Howard Stern told the young contestants of Innovative Force that they had little chance of making it to the next round and he was right. The girls from Missouri lost out to the musical talents of the church singer.

The KriStef Brothers vs. Taylor Williamson

Stern was not happy that these two performances were pitted against each other when eliminations were announced. According to the judge, America made a mistake in not advancing both the balancing duo and the comedian. However, when the votes were tallied, Williamson was the one picked to advance to the Top 6.

Forte vs. Branden James

While James is a talented singer, the vocalist was clearly eliminated when his name was announced at the same time as Forte. The operatic trio was clearly a fan favorite as evidenced by the extended standing ovation their rendition of My Heart Will Go On and America's votes followed the trend of audience reaction.

D'Angelo and Amanda vs. Jimmy Rose

The elimination of the young ballroom dancers was the biggest shock of the evening. Jimmy Rose's performance wasn't quite up to par last night and even Howie Mandel said he lacked the "wow" factor. Yesterday Stern told the pre-teen duo that they were a shoe in for the Top 6 but America clearly did not agree.

Collins Key vs. Catapult Entertainment

While Catapult Entertainment can twist their bodies into fluid shadow figures in order to tell a compelling story, the 17-year-old magician can bring the suspense. The judges were at the edge of their seats with anticipation as Key nearly smashed host Nick Cannon's watch to smithereens and then gaped in awe as he managed to set it correctly to an undisclosed time.

Watch the Top 6 face off in the two part season finale starting next Tuesday at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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Americas Got Talent